YORK’S Zoe Eagles and Hayley Macdonald showcased their talent in the international arena with England, writes Paul Humphreys.

Eagles, of York RI Ladies, and Shipton’s Macdonald took part in the Under-25 International Series at Royal Leamington Spa.

Eagles took up her regular place in the English side, while Macdonald travelled as reserve for the England Development Team, a new addition to the series following the withdrawal of the Irish side.

In the first game of the day, England thumped a below-par Scotland side by 52 shots to give the hosts the perfect start.

The England Development Team struggled in their first game against Wales and limped to a 23-shot defeat.

The reverse was good news for Macdonald as she was drafted into the side following a reshuffle for the second and third games.

The second game saw England take on the England Development Team and the expected big win for the more experienced England side failed to materialise.

Eagles’ rink struggled to catch an inspired England Development rink led by Rebecca Wigfield, while at the same time Macdonald’s rink were keeping Commonwealth Games gold medallist Natalie Melmore and her team-mates to only a small lead.

By the end of the game, England managed to accelerate away from their less experienced opponents by 13 shots but the Development Team showed plenty of fight.

On the second day of competition, the final game of the weekend series saw England needing to beat Wales to retain the title – and they did it in style, winning by 56 shots.

The Development Team also had some unfinished business, taking on their Scottish counterparts, but they slipped to a 27-shot defeat to send the Scots home with a degree of consolation.